Classis Niagara Meets at CRCNA Canadian Office
Darren Roorda, far left, talks about renovations to the Burlington, Ont. office of the CRCNA.
Anita Brinkman
On a sunny morning in May, nearly 40 people from across the Niagara area of southern Ontario drove across the Skyway bridge to Burlington for a different type of church meeting — one that would allow for greater relationship building with a variety of ministries.
Classis Niagara is the regional group of Christian Reformed churches in the Niagara Peninsula. Instead of meeting within one of its local churches, the classis delegates held their spring meeting at the denomination’s Canadian offices in Burlington on May 16.
The office was renovated and expanded last year. Now that staff have moved back into the space, there was an opportunity for classis delegates to come, meet together in some of the expanded conference area, and connect with denominational ministry staff.
Several delegates noted that it was good to meet the staff face to face and to shake hands with people they had interacted with only by email or phone.
CRCNA staff members agreed. Canadian Ministries Director Darren Roorda said, “I appreciated the chance to engage with the elders, deacons, and pastors on ways they can helpfully be connected to the ministry emphases we share.”
Classis Niagara has a history of meeting in places that allow them not only to get together but also to engage with ministries supported by the classis. In 2015 delegates met at the All Ontario Youth Convention; they have also met at The Hub, a ministry center in the Niagara Falls area, and at Rose City Kids in Welland, Ont.
Each meeting of Classis Niagara is shaped by one of five key values that the classis has adopted: prayerful dependence on God, disciples making disciples, leadership development, authentic relationships, and covenantal relationships, said Rev. Sid Couperus, a member of Niagara’s Classis Ministry Council.
“This May [the focus] was on covenantal relationships. . . . We thought, ‘What better place to meet than the denominational building?’”
Along with the regular business of a classis meeting, delegates toured the renovated office building and spent time in listening sessions with denominational employees, learning from each other about shared goals and available resources.
Albert Postma, Classis Renewal Coordinator for the denomination, appreciated the chance to sit down with delegates to discuss how churches can be encouraged in both their local ministries and their collective calling as classes, or regional groups of churches.
He added, “It was amazing to hear some of the stories of how the relationship between churches and denominational ministries is such a rich mutual blessing.”
